CREATING COMMUNITY CAPACITY TO REDUCE HEALTH DISPARITIES€¦ · Texas Conference on Health...

WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO?

C O M M U N I T Y

A D V I S O R Y

B O A R D

B E T T Y C A B R E R A

A P R I L C I C C A R E L L O

S U M M E R C O L L I N S

A N N E C R O W T H E R

D A W N D I C K E R S O N -

S A N K O F A

S T E P H E N E A S O N

A M A N D A E N G L I S H

B E T T Y H E R S E Y

B A R R Y L A C H M A N

K A T H Y L I V I N G S T O N

M E L I S S A O D E N

S U E P I C K E N S

C H E R Y L P R E L O W

J E N N I F E R S E V E R A N C E

D O N A L D S M I T H

E L I Z A B E T H S O B E L - B L U M

L A R R Y T U B B

C RE A TI N G C O M M U N ITY C A PA C IT Y TO RE DU C E HE A L T H DIS P A RI TIE S

FALL 2012 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

D A L L A S C A N C E R

D I S P A R I T I E S

C O M M U N I T Y

C O A L I T I O N . . .

2

T E X A S C E N T E R F O R

H E A L T H

D I S P A R I T I E S . . .

3

R E C E N T A N D

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S 3

P R O J E C T U P D A T E S 4

W H O ’ S N E W 5

H E A L T H F O C U S 6 We recently participated in Sisters Network Inc., an organization of breast cancer survivors providing information and resources to African American women.

Proud participants from one of the latest Breast Cancer Education classes

Two of our Lay Health Educators distribute information out in the community.

Student volunteers deliver a pilot survey at the 7th Annual Carnaval de Salud to study health care access among health fair participants.

On June 29, 2012, the South Dallas Breast Cancer Prevention Education Program celebrated with 49 ladies completing Session 9 of the

program. Session 9 was held on Wednesdays and Fridays

in June from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM at Carpenter’s Point

Senior Living Center located at 4645 Dolphin Road, Dal-

las, TX 75223. During our Healthy Communities class,

our two group leaders from Session 8 and the social ser-

vices coordinator from Carpenter’s Point were the pre-

senters. They provided valuable information as past par-

ticipants and gave the ladies some great ideas on how to

form walking groups at the residential sites represented

and incorporate more physical activity into their daily

lives. During the graduation celebration, several women

spoke about many positive experiences they had during

the program. One participant commented, ―I have lost ten

pounds since participating in this program.‖ The husband of one of the participants said: ―I have learned so much about breast cancer

just from listening to my wife! …She loved coming here and learning about her health. Thank you all so much for what you do!‖

After more than 2 years of working in the community to decrease breast cancer health disparities, the

series of 8-week education programs specific to the South Dallas community has concluded. Topics for

the sessions included breast cancer facts, methods of early detection, healthy communities, how to talk

to your doctor, how to eat healthy on a budget, and faith and wellness. Throughout the years, 435

women have been enrolled in the program who were at least 40 years of age or older, have never had

cancer, have not had a mammogram within the past year, and lived in zip code 75210, 75215, or

75223. Among these women, 35% had never received a

mammogram before. Since the program began, 215

mammograms have been provided through our commu-

nity partnerships. We are ecstatic that the program

will be continuing in all parts of Dallas County over the

next 3 years to continue to reduce breast cancer

health disparities.

CENTER FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH NEWSLETTER

CELEBRATING LIFE IN SOUTH DALLAS

The second stage of the Breast Cancer Prevention Education program has grown steadily over

the last year. As we work to expand the program throughout all of Dallas County, we are proud of

the progress we are making and the positive impact the program is having on the lives of those

participating in the program. As a result of concerted efforts to promote the program at various

community events, including health fairs, block parties, local radio, and local urban newspapers,

mammography and breast health materials have been given to nearly 6,000 high-risk women

throughout the county. By the close of the first year of the grant, we’ve completed four sessions

and have recently begun two new sessions in the North Dallas area. As of August 2012, 162

women had been enrolled in our education sessions and nearly 100 were provided with a screen-

ing mammogram. The program has been successful in leveraging our community partnerships

with the Moncrief Cancer Institute (MCI), Methodist Hospital System and Parkland Hospital to

provide screening mammograms and patient navigation to our program participants. We are

looking forward to an even more productive and rewarding second year. Stay tuned!!

BREAST CANCER PREVENTION

PROGRAM, STAGE II: ON TO ALL OF DALLAS COUNTY!

D A L L A S

C A N C E R

D I S P A R I T I E S

C O M M U N I T Y

C O A L I T I O N

C O M M U N I T Y

A D V I S O R Y

B O A R D

Stacy Welk, Chair

Roy Lopez, Vice Chair

Cheryl Boswell

Marva Epperson-Brown

Vickie Henry

LaKeye Hurd

Esteria Miller

Deborah Parish

Johnnie Pierce

Johnrice (JR) Newton

Preston M. Weaver

Ruth Hendrickson

Chyrel Roseborough

Alison Vo

“I thank God for whoever came up with the idea to do this breast program. I thank God for giving them the idea and for making this all possible. I loved learning about my body and as African American women, there is so much we don’t know. I learned so much about how to take care of myself… .” —Program Participant

DALLAS CANCER DISPARITIES COMMUNITY COALITION


TEXAS CENTER FOR HEALTH DISPARITIES: COMMUNITY OUTREACH CORE

The Center for Community Health is overseeing the Texas Center for Health Disparities Community Outreach Core,

part of a P20 Center of Excellence grant awarded in August 2012 from the National

Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health.

The Community Outreach Core serves to bring together the Health Science Center’s

expertise with community-based resources in new and innovative ways to enhance

local community capacity to reduce women’s health disparities.

The Community Outreach Core will work on three core initiatives:

HIV Outreach and Prevention Initiative: The aim of this initiative is to work with the

Dallas Family Access Network to enhance HIV prevention among young women

through improving their HIV health literacy and encouraging them to test.

Obesity Outreach and Prevention Initiative: The purpose of this initiative is to

strengthen the efforts of the Greater Dallas

Area Coalition to Prevent Childhood Obesity by building community capacity

to reduce and prevent obesity among underserved Dallas County women.

Breast Cancer Outreach and Prevention Initiative: The purpose of this initia-

tive is to create a Tarrant County Cancer Disparities Coalition, with technical

assistance from the Dallas Cancer Disparities Coalition, with a focus on

building community capacity to reduce cancer health disparities and an ini-

tial focus on breast cancer prevention among women.

Marcy Paul leads a brain-storming activity .

Organizations and community members discuss breast cancer disparities.

The Center for Community Health has been busy disseminating the success of

its programs for others to learn and impact the health of their communities.

Intercultural Cancer Council – June 2012 (Houston)

Texas Conference on Health Disparities – July 2012 (Fort Worth)

Healthy Texas Babies - Community Health Workers Conference – August

2012 (San Marcos)

Infant Mortality Network Summit—September 2012 (Fort Worth)

Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Conference – October 2012 (Austin)

American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo – October 2012 (San Francisco)

Summit on the Science of Eliminating Health Disparities: Building a Healthier Society Integrating

Science, Policy, and Practice – December 2012 (National Harbor, MD)

CityMatch Conference – December 2012 (San Antonio)

RECENT AND UPCOMING EVENTS


PROJECT UPDATES

The Center for Community Health has begun its evaluation of the program Transforming Texas, which

includes 18 organizations with whom the Texas Department of State Health Services has contracted

for their CDC-funded Community Transformation Grant. These organizations include in their scopes of

work 30 counties across Texas, representing more than 3.6 million Texans living in urban, rural, fron-

tier, and border counties spanning 268,820 square miles of the state.

The evaluation plan focuses on a cross-section of diverse communities

(6 counties) with health disparate populations in which chronic disease

strategies are being implemented that are likely to fill gaps in the evi-

dence base. Counties involved in the evaluation are: Hale, Jim Wells,

Lubbock, McLennan, Webb, and Willacy (see Figure 1). The primary

purpose of the evaluation is to add to the chronic disease reduction

and prevention evidence base by determining which health strategies

produce successful outcomes in different environments. The evalua-

tion includes both process and outcome components concerning joint

use agreements, community wide campaigns, clinical preventive ser-

vices, and health equity. Data collection began in 2012 and will contin-

ue at various times throughout the 5-year grant period. The evaluation team will employ both qualita-

tive and quantitative data collection methods. For more information about the Transforming Texas

Evaluation, contact Kim Linnear, Project Manager, at 817-735-0547.

The Dean's

C i v i c

C o u n c i l ,

now called

the Public

Health and

Prevention

Council, announced that H3

will be one of their initiatives

for this academic year. This

means assistance with

funding opportunities leading

to implementation of a

strategic plan. Also,

Oversight Board Vice Chair

Loretta Burns and Project

Man age r Ma rc y P au l

presented at the Community

Health Workers Across Texas

The Myths and Facts HPV bookmarks continue to be a

hit. They are delivered to presentations, youth sporting events,

health care providers and anywhere else that the CCH staff are

going. CCH also went to the highways with HPV billboards. An

example is illustrated above.

Conference in July. Under the H3 Action Learning Collaborative

(funded by the Kellogg Foundation), a 2-day concept mapping

and theme sorting exercise in connection with the H3

collaboration was undertaken. The results will be disseminated

in a community forum.

Figure 1: Counties involved in evaluation

H3

Allison Ottenbacher, PhD, is a new member of the Transforming Texas evaluation team. Allison recently moved from

Houston where she worked as a Statistician at the Center for Healthcare Quality and Safety. She graduated from the University of Texas School of Public Health (Houston) with a PhD in Epidemiology and MS in Biostatistics. Her disser-

tation research focused on elements of physical activity among breast and prostate cancer survivors. She has both a professional and personal interest in physical activity and health promotion, and has completed three full mara-

thons, the most memorable being in Hawaii. She is excited to be at an institution and department where there is a strong emphasis on community engagement and building relationships between various groups of people; academ-

ics, local residents, community leaders, etc. As a new resident of north Texas, she is eager to explore the area and

make new relationships.

Nikita Phillips, DrPH is the new Project Manager for the Breast Cancer Prevention Education Program. Prior to com-ing to UNTHSC, Nikita worked for Dallas County HHS as the Health Advisor in Ryan White Grants Administration and

as a Research Associate with UTSW Medical Center. She has worked in the field of HIV/AIDS for over 10 years and her background is rooted in community outreach, qualitative and quantitative research and technical assistance.

Nikita received her DrPH from UNT Health Science Center in Social and Behavioral Science and an MPH in Epidemi-ology from Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine. She is originally from Richmond, California

and is very active with her sorority, Metropolitan Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Ladi Akinboro is a new research associate at the Texas Prevention Institute’s Center for Community Health

(CCH). This follows his rich summer internship experience at the CCH, which culminated in the completion of his Master of Public Health degree, with concentration in biostatistics, at the UNT Health Science Center, Fort Worth,

Texas in August 2012. He will be involved with the database management and data analysis of the Dallas Breast Cancer Prevention program. He will also be working on the research outcomes evaluation of other projects at the

CCH. When he is not working, Ladi loves watching and playing soccer, volunteering on community projects, playing chess and reading novels. Having had his undergraduate medical training in Nigeria, he plans to leverage on his

public health training and experiences to forge a career in infectious disease prevention and research in resource-poor countries and settings. Marcela Nava is the CCH Community Engagement Manager, where she coordinates key community partnerships to

engage partners and faculty in study planning and dissemination of study results, ensuring study findings are dis-seminated through a variety of vehicles, and identifying opportunities for synergy. In addition, Marcela plays a sup-

portive role to other CCH projects by identifying new community partners, supporting ongoing partnerships, helping in the strategic planning of the CCH, assisting in preparing and presenting research findings internally and externally,

and assisting in identifying and preparing funding opportunities. Marcela received a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Texas Christian University and her Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arling-

ton. Before coming to the CCH, she spent 7 years in a local nonprofit serving children and families. Marcela has a

strong interest in advocating for marginalized and disenfranchised groups, creating power-balanced partnerships between community members and institutions, and promoting social change through a focus on health disparities

and equity in human rights.

Phyllis Harris is a returning Lay Health Educator who has been working on the Breast Cancer Education Program since 2009. Phyllis is an alumni of Paul Quinn College with a B.A. in Mass Communication. Phyllis began her journey

into the community health field through volunteering at a free indigent medical clinic in the Dallas area from August 25, 2005 until April 2012. Through this experience and working for Dr. Katie Cardarelli, Phyllis was propelled to ap-

ply for the Peace Corps. As a Peace Corps volunteer Phyllis was able to utilize her knowledge and community experi-ence to work with and learn from native Rwandans. Due to circumstances beyond her control, Phyllis’s Peace Corps

experience was cut short. Phyllis is excited to be back working with a dynamic team of ladies providing breast cancer

WHO’S NEW...


Kendra Malone was raised in Irving, TX but also has strong ties to Batesville, MS, Chicago, IL, and Cleveland, OH. She is an alumna of the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and earned a Bachelor’s of Science

in Molecular Biology. She was also an undergraduate researcher for UTD’s Sickle Cell Disease Research Center where she worked under the mentorship of Dr. Betty S. Pace. She is currently

doing her practicum with the Healthy Moms Healthy Babies Healthy Community Initiative’s Con-cept Mapping Project on Infant Mortality in Tarrant County. She hopes to use her MPH to con-

duct community-based participatory research and work to alleviate health disparities in mater-nal and child health. One day, she hopes to be able to start her own nonprofit organization. In

her free-time she enjoys reading, journaling and occasionally plays her flute.

GR

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In the United States, it is

estimated that more than

227,000 women will be

diagnosed with breast cancer

this year. In Texas women, it

is the leading cause of new

cancer cases and the second

leading cause of cancer

deaths. Breast cancer results

from the formation of

cancerous cells in the breast tissue. Risk factors are factors that may increase a person’s

chance of developing cancer. Risk factors for breast cancer include family history,

smoking, being overweight, and not getting enough exercise. There are things that you can

do to reduce your risk of developing cancer, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising.

Screening for breast cancer occurs before any symptoms are present and increases the

likelihood that cancer would be found at an early stage. The most commonly available

screening tests for breast cancer are mammograms and clinical breast exams. A

mammogram is an x-ray of the breast that has the ability to find cancerous cells that are

too small to feel. A clinical breast exam is an exam of the breast by a doctor or other

health professional to feel the breasts and under the arms for lumps or anything else that

may seem unusual.

It is important to do regular breast self exams so that you are aware of how your breast

normally feels and can notice any changes in your breast as soon as possible. You should

always have lumps, nipple discharge, or skin changes checked by a healthcare

professional. To assess your breast cancer risk go to: http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/.

Read more:

Risser DR, Bowcock CL, Miller EA, Williams MA, Magid R, Garcia R. Cancer in Texas, 2011.

Austin, TX: Texas Cancer Registry, Texas Department of State Health Services; Cancer

Prevention Research Institute of Texas, 2011.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/breast/Patient/page1/AllPages

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/screening/breast/Patient/page3

HEALTH FOCUS

BREAST CANCER: KNOW YOUR RISK

G R A D U A T E

A S S I S T A N T S

( C O N T I N U E D )

Jing Chen is a Graduate Research Assistant at the Center for Communi-ty Health, and is currently a second-year MPH student in Biostatistics at UNTHSC. She graduated from Anhui

Medical University in China, and for 5 consecutive years, has been honored as a University Merit Student. During her

tenure at Anhui Medical University, she actively participated in different research projects at the Department of Maternal and Child Health, and received a 1-year internship in Mater-nal and Child Health Care Center in her hometown which enhanced her interest and passion in health promo-tion. She joined the CCH in March of this year, and enjoys being part of the “Battle-men” and “Battle-women” fighting against health disparities and promoting community health. Jing believes challenge makes progress in study, in work, as well as in personal activities.

Prashanthi Selvakumar was born and raised in India, which is vast in culture and diversity. She completed her Bachelor of Dental Surgery in

Chennai, India and graduated with dis-tinction in 2009, after which she practiced dentistry under the supervision of one of her professors for a

year. During her internship, she was drawn towards community health and the modifiable risk factors of disease. Later, she understood that there is no better way to affect people's lives than through public health. She was searching for some field that could complement her basic knowledge about diseases and her interests in computer programming. She joined UNT Health Science Center in 2011, and chose the MPH program with Epidemiology as her major concen-tration. She was working as a Gradu-ate Assistant In the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, and now she has joined as a Graduate Re-search Assistant in the TPI and is loving her job. She loves her working environment, where experts guide the beginners like her.


Join the Center for

Community Health on

Facebook today!

http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/






http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/breast/Patient/page1/AllPages

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/screening/breast/Patient/page3

CREATING COMMUNITY CAPACITY TO REDUCE HEALTH DISPARITIES€¦ · Texas Conference on Health...

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